Technology and Migration

The Government of the Philippines created a communication platform BaLinkBayan for Filipino returnees, which functions as a one-stop online portal for diaspora engagement. BaLinkBayan is a means to connect Filipino individuals and communities to the Philippines through the Diaspora to Development (D2D) program of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) BaLinkBayan focuses on the five of the D2D: diaspora investment and entrepreneurship, diaspora philanthropy, brain gain program, educational exchange, and medical mission coordination. 

This highly innovative project works to digitize migrant workers’ remittances both in Malaysia and in countries of origin through e-wallets (wallet-based mobile-enabled remittance system), thus providing remittance recipients access to additional financial services that meet their needs. It aims to link mobile-enabled remittances with digital financial services offered by third parties at the receiving end in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Launched in 1994, EURES is a European cooperation network of employment services, designed to facilitate the free movement of workers. The network has always worked hard to ensure that European citizens can benefit from the same opportunities, despite language barriers, cultural differences, bureaucratic challenges, diverse employment laws and a lack of recognition of educational certificates across Europe. It has a portal network of 1,000 EURES advisors who maintain daily contact with employees and employers across Europe.

Through its bridge-building character, this platform aims at improving and enhancing the capacity and impact of African diaspora organisations involved in development activities in Africa, and connecting the e-Diaspora organizations in Europe. Effective network dynamics and activities are best managed on a permanent platform, setting structured grounds for a competent delivery of relevant and appropriate context specific services to diaspora organizations, countries of destination and countries of origin.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supported the creation of a platform for the Bosnian and Herzegovinian Diaspora in Switzerland, which connects the Diaspora in Switzerland with the purpose of joining forces to support the development of the country of origin beyond the many existing individual contributions at family or community level.

The program’s overarching strategic goal is to improve the overall market for remittances and ultimately achieve further financial inclusion, broader usage of electronic payments and the reduction of the cost of remittances while maintaining financial stability. This will allow migrants and their families a net increase of the available resources for their daily needs, savings as well as investments.

The program is executed by the World Bank’s Financial Infrastructure and Remittances Service Line, which is part of the joint WB/IFC Finance and Markets Global Practice.

The mission of the interactive media platform albinfo.ch is twofold:

a) Active Citizenship and harmonious integration of people and ethnic Albanian populations in Switzerland

The purpose of albinfo.ch is to be used as a communication tool through free and convenient access to quality non-partisan information and services.

Launched in 2009, PLURAL+ is a joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with a network of more than 50 partner organizations around the globe.